There is strong support in some of Friday's newspapers for the Banking Commission's report on how to reform the industry.

The Daily Telegraph endorses what it calls a "welcome foresight" on banking that it says has not always been apparent from Parliament, and it says Chancellor George Osborne should adopt the recommendations into law.

It backs the idea of Parliament having the option to forcibly break-up a bank, if a ring-fence of its retail operations from its investment activities proves ineffective.

In short, says the Guardian, the commission's ring-fence is stronger and more likely to succeed than the chancellor's.

It praises the commissioners, arguing that ring-fencing is an experiment that may not work and that more radical reform should remain an option.

'Bankers' poodle'

The Independent urges Mr Osborne to respect the plans. If he ignores the recommendations or tries to water them down, argues the paper, he runs the risk of being seen as the bankers' poodle.

But the Times reports that the Treasury is likely to reject the commission's recommendations on ring-fencing.

The Financial Times believes the report makes stark reading for an industry that has completely lost the trust of senior parliamentarians.

The paper says it points to shortcomings in the coalition's legislation and its conclusions are largely sensible. For instance, it feels there are real questions about whether the ring-fence can be enforced between the two types of banking under the same roof.

The paper supports efforts to deal with the workshy, but it urges ministers to ensure they squeeze the less deserving harder than those making rare use of a safety net that they have paid for many times over.

'New spirit'

The marathon news conference held by Russian President Vladimir Putin prompts much interest.

The Independent says it went on for as long as three football matches - or an uncut production of Hamlet - and it seemed designed to quash rumours about his health.